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UConn vet Olander finds role as mentor rewarding

William S. Paxton
| on April 1, 2014

Photo: Peter Morgan, Associated Press

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Connecticut forward Tyler Olander shoots during practice at the NCAA college basketball tournament in New York, Thursday, March 27, 2014. Connecticut plays Iowa State in a regional semifinal on Friday.(AP Photo/Peter Morgan) less

Connecticut forward Tyler Olander shoots during practice at the NCAA college basketball tournament in New York, Thursday, March 27, 2014. Connecticut plays Iowa State in a regional semifinal on Friday.(AP ... more

Photo: Peter Morgan, Associated Press

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Connecticut forward Tyler Olander, left with ball, and teammates gather during practice at the NCAA college basketball tournament in New York, Thursday, March 27, 2014. Connecticut plays Iowa State in a regional semifinal on Friday. Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie is at right. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) less

Connecticut forward Tyler Olander, left with ball, and teammates gather during practice at the NCAA college basketball tournament in New York, Thursday, March 27, 2014. Connecticut plays Iowa State in a ... more

Photo: Peter Morgan, Associated Press

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Louisville's Russ Smith, left, passes the ball away from the pressure of Connecticut's Tyler Olander, center, and Niels Giffey during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, March 8, 2014, in Louisville, Ky. Louisville defeated UConn 81-48. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) less

Louisville's Russ Smith, left, passes the ball away from the pressure of Connecticut's Tyler Olander, center, and Niels Giffey during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, March 8, 2014, ... more

Photo: Timothy D. Easley, Associated Press

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DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 4: Tyler Olander #10 of the Connecticut Huskies drives to the basket against the SMU Mustangs on January 4, 2014 at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas.

DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 4: Tyler Olander #10 of the Connecticut Huskies drives to the basket against the SMU Mustangs on January 4, 2014 at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas.

STORRS -- The off-season missteps nearly cost Tyler Olander his spot on the UConn Huskies. The senior forward has devoted the season attempting to make it up to his teammates, coaches and school.

The career of Olander, once a freshman starter on a team that won the 2011 national championship, has reached its twilight at UConn, and he seldom takes the floor these days. In four NCAA tournament wins on the road to Arlington, Texas, Olander has played just six minutes -- total.

But the Huskies (30-8) going to the Final Four, where they will play top-ranked Florida (36-2) Saturday night (6:09, TBS, TBS, truTV) at AT&T Stadium, is all that matters to Olander. The team flew out to Texas after practice at Gampel Pavilion on Tuesday night.

"I felt like everything I went through in the off-season, I felt like the least I could do was help the coaches and help this university," said Olander, who was arrested for trespassing in Florida on spring break last year and was also ticketed for driving under the influence, the charge later dropped.

"I felt like I owed them back because I had really messed up. To quit after that, that's not in me. That's not the right thing to do. Two wrongs don't make a right and I had to make right of the situation.

"I felt the best way was to come in, go to work, put my head down and not expect anything and help out where I can. I continue to help everyone get better as a program and a team, and that's really all I can do."

Coach Kevin Ollie was known in his playing days at UConn and later in the NBA for being a good teammate. Olander has picked up that torch with the Huskies.

"He's been excellent and Omar (Calhoun)'s been excellent," said Ollie, also referencing the little-used sophomore who underwent hip surgery after a successful freshman season and has struggled. "Tyler has been great helping the bigs, getting them organized and telling them different ways to pick and roll, how to talk (on the floor), stuff like that."

The Huskies have come to rely on freshman Amida Brimah and sophomore Phil Nolan during the NCAAs to man the paint, but sometimes the wily old veteran gets a call, such as against Michigan State the other day at Madison Square Garden.

"He's been excellent and he's ready to play if anything happens," Ollie said. "Like even the other day when Amida got two fouls and Phil got a little winded, I was able to put him in there and the rhythm of the game didn't change. It just shows how professional he is and that's what we pride ourselves on around here."

Olander has started 59 games in his UConn career with a career average of 2.9 points and 2.6 assists. He has a championship ring, once scored a career-high 16 points against Notre Dame and knocked down a key 3-pointer to rescue the Huskies in a season-opening, 78-77 win over Maryland at the Barclays Center.

All of those achievements have been great, but Olander finds mentoring his younger teammates just as rewarding.

"The little things you can do as a senior, to come along and understand, especially as someone who has been to a Final Four, have been great," he said. "These guys are like family to me, especially these young guys like Amida, Terrence (Samuel) and Kentan Facey. They are new, but we've learned to grow together this year and it's been awesome. Just things like that, kind of big brother-type of role where I tell them everything I know even during games, telling them what I'm seeing. I think they respect me and I think we've developed a good relationship."